Folding-machine.



vv, R. ALLEN.

Pomme MACHINE. APFLl-CATION FILED JUNE 5. 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.. f

Patented Aug. 31, 19l5.

' w. RL ALLEN. FOLDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED llJNE 5. l9!4.

PNL-@med Lug. 31,1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.E

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w. R. ALLEN. FOL-DING M-ACMNE. 'APPUCAHON FILED JUNE 5.1914.

Ptented'Aug.' 31, 1915.

3 sHEfTs-SHEET s..

p claimed Patent plan thereof; Fig. 3

linvention is WLLIAMB. ALLEN, F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 THE AMERICAN MULTIGRAPH COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

FOLDING-MACHINE.

T0 all whom t may concern.' 4

Be it known that l, VILLIAM R. ALLEN, a citizen of the' United States, residing at Cleveland, inf the county of Cuyahoga and Sta-te of Ohio, have invented af certain new and useful Improvement in Folding-Mau chines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the `accompanyingdrawings.

rlhis invention relates to folding machines of the general type shown, described and No. 839,313 granted December 25th, 1906 as the invention of Messrs. Nind and Jlulyan.I

The object of the present invention is to produce asimple and cheap machine of that character, adapted primarily for folding small piecesof paper with vone or more transverse folds.

The machine made in accordance with this p particularly well adapted to folding bills, statements,vcommercial notesize stationery, etc. l

lllhe machine is hereinafter more fully explained 4and its essential characteristics are summarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a Vertical sectionof my folding machine; Fig. 2 is a is a fragmentary front elevation of the portion of the machine associatedwith the stacker; Figs. t and 5 are end views of the machine,-F ig. 5 looking in the same direction as Fig. -l land Fig. 4i in the opposite direction; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of the-same end of the ma chine as shown in Fig. 4, in which is'shown a. portion of the folding mechanism in posip tion to be operated by the cam, that is with zontal while the member 14 is in its up position. machine shown consists end `plates 10 and 11'1 Iconnected by cross members 12 and 1li, near the upper end of the side plates, mounted between them, and suitably secured to them, as, for example, by the screws 13 and 15. he cross member 1.2 is substantially horin inclined and the two parts constitute a table or support adapted to bendthe paper intermediately. The inclined portion 14: is adjustable about the pivot screws 13 '(being locked by the clamp screw 16) to change slightly the prestbe telescoping bar The frame of the of two upright Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 371, 1915. 1914.. seriai No. 843,151.

entationl of the paper at its convex bend to the dislodging roller hereinafter described. The block of paper is shown at A in F ig;

1. It rests on the table 12 between suitable end guides 20 and 21 and side'guides 23,24, and 42G. The table is made'of skeleton form shown in Fig.l 2 for purposes of lighti j ness. This skeleton form provides recesses 27 and 28 which blocks 20` and 21, these blocks having shoulders on their under side, whereby they are guided in the recessesand being clamped in adjusted position by suitable means, as, for example, the screws 29 which pass through slots in the blocks into cross bars 4 extending beneath the plate'.

The side guides are shown as mounted on rods 30 and 31 extending'between theside plates of the frame. Th

' downward lugs 34, Fig.

1, occupying transverse recesses in the table andhave bosses 37 which slidably embrace the rods 30, 31j be clamped thereto by setV and Imay screws38.

By utilizing lthe frame and ing the paper, I simplify and cheapen the construction. The side and end guides are easily adjusted onthe table to take any range of paper within the capacity of the machine'.

The block of paper A described between the side and end guides and thus has a convex bent portion directly over the folding machine to be described. Above lthis bent portion is a surmounting weight 40. This weight consists of a cylin-- drical cross bar having a pair of parallel bars 4-2 extending in opposite directions parallel with the planes of the table. At the ends of the bar 40 are reduced extensions 43 which extend into vertical notches 44 in the end. frames. The weight is therefore suitably guided in position but is free to rest on the paper and move downwardly with it.

' The mechanism which gives vthe paper its first transverse fold consists of a stationary roller (Fig. 1) and a coperating roller 51 which is mounted to swing about the axis of the roller 50 and toward the pap illustrated by the broken lines 5111 1n Fig. 1) and thus pinch the bottommost sheet and form guides for the endy e side guides have the members 12 as a partofalso as the table for carryf rests on the table nected by a cross yoke GS. v

dislodge it by drawing it between the rollers and 5l. This feature is shown and claimed in the prior patent to Nind and Julyan heretofore referred to.

As shown herein, the rollers 50 and 5l are rotated and the roller 51 caused to swing about the aXis of the roller 50 by the follow- Aing mechanism; that is to sa v,-journaled in the upright plates 10 and 1l is a driving shaft G0 on which is a gear (3l meshing with `a pinion 62 on the shaft ot' the roller 50. This pinion meshes with a gear G3 on the shaft 65 of the roller 51. lThe pitch circles of the gears 6i! and (33 are the same as the circumference ot the rollers 50 and 51. The shaft 05 of the roller 51 is mounted in arms 66 which are journaled on the shal't of the roller 50, and these.arms are suitably con- To swing the roller 51 upwardly to engage and dislodge the sheet, I extend one oi' the arms 06 down wardly and provide 4it with a roller 70 (Fig. which projects through a slot 72 in the frame plate l0 and is adapted to beengaged bya cam 71 on the end ot the main shaft 00.

Any suitable mechanism is provided for rotating;T the shaft G0, as, for example,l the hand wheel 73 having a handle. 74. rl`he rotation of this shaft not only rotates the rollers 50 and 5l. but causes the. latter to swing upwardly against the paper, so that the bottomniost sheet is pinched and fed downwardlyv between the rollers and thus in# termediatel y folded.

ln the downward Jfeed ot the folded sheet,

i the yoke bar (i8 forms a guide for its travel.

d cient.

For. some classes of stationery a single fold preferably in the middle ot' the sheet is suililn other classes it is desirable to make two folds, for example, each *approximately a'third way from an end.- My machine provides mechanism for taking the once folded sheet which passes downwardly along the. guide ('18 and either delivering it directly or giving it a subsequent fold? as will now bev described.

Below the guiding lVoke 0S are three roll ers designated 75, and 77, Fig. 1'. These rollers are. all geared together by suitable gears` as indicated at 79. 'l`he roller 75 has its shaft mounted in arms H0 which are pivoted on the inner 'face ot the frame members l0 and 11 Suitable springs S1 connected to the frame men'ibers and to these arms tend to swing thel roller 75 toward the roller 76. The amount of such swing is limited by the set screws S2. 'l`he roller- 7G may conveniently he ot metal and its coating roller 77 ot' rubber mounted on a suitable shaft. two rollers are stationary.

indicates a combined guide and knife. This consists of a cross member carried by ears at its ends on a rock shaft 86 mounted in theA frame'and having at its upper end a Each oi the axes of these` frame S5.

W hen it is desired to feed the once folded sheet out of the machine without a subsequent fold, the knife member S5 has the position shown in Fig. 1, and the folded sheet, traveling down the right hand side of the yoke 0S, passes between the rollers 75 and 70 and is then deflected by the upper concavity ot' the rib S0 and thus passes between the rollers 7G and 77 and beneath the stationary guard 93. Below this guard is a tooth stacker wheel 94 rotating in the opposite direction to the roller 77, and the teeth oi this wheel coperatc with that roller to feed downwardly the sheet onto the stacker table 100.

When thc sheets are delivered, as shown at A1 in Fig. l, they rest on a notched portion lOl of the stacker table and are fed to the left againsta suitable stop block 103 by apacking arm 105. 'lhis arm is rigid on the rock shaft 10o which is oscillated'by reason of a rock arm 107 (Fig. 5) connected by a pitman 10b` with a crank pin 109 on the cam 7l. A suitable slot 110 in the pitman allows loose play and enables the I)acker arm to be given the desired movement. As the successive folded sheets are delivered, the block 103 vslides along the smooth sup- 10e porting arm 1l2 ot the stacker frame, as will be well understood. e

During the operation of stacking without subsequent folding. as just describedthe set screws S2 are so adjusted that the roller 105 75 contacts with the roller T0 so as to canse the actual'feedingr of the paper. When,ho\v over, it is desired to give a` subsequent fold to the once folded sheet..the, serewgf are turned inward to carry the roller 75 `slightly 110 away from the ro'ller 7G, so that it does not cause an actual feed` but simply assists the downward movement of the sheet. The rock sha'i't SG on which the knii'e frame S5 is mounted is. irl this ease. connected with a 11e suitable cam to rock the arm and thereby swing the upper end backward away from the, rollers 76 and 77 so as to allow the onee folded sheet topass downwardly at the left of the arm until its lower edge strikes afnd rests upon the portion lll ol' theI stacker frame. Then the knife. swings to the left and the blade tucks the sheet between the rolls 70 and 77 so that it is given a subsequent fold. 'l`hen it is stacked as a 125 three. panel told. as shown in Fig. l'.

The nuazhanism which gives the desired swing to the rock shai't 80 is-best shown in Fig. 4'and consists of an aufn 190 rigid on that shaft and a slidahlev bar 121 teleseop` t-ii tionary when this knife bar is not being..-

give the three panel fold. In thisl lat , mately. to the size lsize of the folded sheets.

amante ing with the arm. and clamped by al set screw 123, this bar coacting with a cam 124 on the-end of the main shaft 60. A suitable spring 125 connects with an arm 126 projecting from the arm 120 and tends to swing the knife arm 85 toward the left in Fig. 1. l

128 indicates a stop for vengaging the lower end of the telescoping bar when in its d own position to hold the-knife arm 85 staused to down position the-upper end ofthe bar is below the path of the cam 124C. Accordingly, the knife bar remains stationary adjacent the roller 77 but preferably not in Contact therewith. The cam 124 is conveniently formed on the side of the gear 61,' which, as heretofore explained, meshes with the pinion 62. This gear also meshes with a pinion 132 on the roller 76. 129 indicates a pin carried by the pivoted frame member 87, and engaging a pin projecting loutwardly fromthe side frame member 11.

This provides a suitable stop holding the spring lingers 90 normally in their vertical position, shown in Fig. l., but allowing them to be readily swung rearwardly when desired.

The stacker table 112 above referred to consists of a cross bar 140 having the forwardly projecting arms 112 for holding the folded sheets and the rearward upwardly offset portion 113 for receiving the sheets to be folded; This stacker frameis conveniently adjusted by sliding down in ways on the inner side of the frame plates and being clamped by suitable thumb bolts 142. As the portion of the sheet to be given a second fold which should stand beneath the point of the rib 89 is substantially the same as the width of the panel of the folded sheets beneath the stacker wheel, it

is convenient to make the portions 113 and the rest of the stacker table rigid so ,that

for both the stopping of the sheets to be fold and' for the receiving of the folded sheets.

It will be seen that my folding machine is extremely simple in construction', that it may be made very durable and with nothing whatever about it to get out of order.

In the operation, the paper is Isimply placed in a pile on' the top of thefi'nachine, the

side and edge guides adjusted approxiof themsheet and the weight laid on top of the sheet. The telescoping extension theflrnkife arm is adjusted in or out7 accordin to whether the sheet is to be given one 'ontwo folds. The roller isfset correspondingly and the stacker frame is adjusted according to the Then it is 'simply necessary to rotate the up and .second pairl of folding given the second hand wheel to fold Hthe paper lying on the table. The operation may be lcontinuous as the weight.'

may be ,removed and additional pape-r 'su`p p lied -without stopping the folding operaf I with a pair of up-V members and making a frame therewith, said top member constituting a paper table and having one .portion at an angleto said hori zontal portion to make -a downwardly conm vex bend in the paper, folding rolls beneath w an opening in said table, and means for changing the angle of one portion of the table top to adjust the presentation of the convex bend to the folding rolls.

3. The combination of a pair of 'pright side plates, a cro'ss plateconstituting a portion of the frame and a paper table, folding rollers beneath 'an opening in the cross plate, said side plates liavingears extending above the cross plate and provided with notches, and a weight adapted to rest on a block of paper on the table, said weightbeing slidably guided by said notches.

4. The combination, with aepaper table, a pair of folding rolls .beneath, .the same, a

rolls b first mentioned; a pivoted ,blade 'carrying near its upper end a rigid/rib with a concaved upper surface, said surface being rolls, and means for swinging said blade to cause it to'tuck the sheet intermediately between said second airof rolls.

5. The combination of a pair of folding rolls, a knife adapted to tuck the sheets1between said pair, a deiector carried by said knife for directing the sheets directly to the pair, an extra rolly coacting with the one member of the pair, a spring tending to force it against said member, and means for preventing it Contactin when desired, whereby it is possiblato positively feed the paper or to simply guide it.

6. rll`he combination, with a pair of folding rolls, ofa second pair of rolls; adapted to receive the folded product of the firxt pair, a combined deflector and tucking bla e adapted to cooperate with the second pair to direct the sheet end foremost to the same or to tuck it intermediately between them, a rock arm connected with the tuckingblade,

and a cam for operating said arm, said arm lio' having an adjustable extension to engage r miss said cam.

7. The combination, with a pair of folding rolls, of a second pair of rolls adapted coacting with the upper roll of the second pair, and means for adjusting said roll toward or from the upper roll of the second pair and limiting the approach thereof.

8. In a folding machine, the combination,

Awith a paper table, of dislodging and 'folding rolls adjacent thereto, delivering rolls, a lstacker wheel coacting with one of the delivery rolls', a stackeri table adapted to receive the folded sheet beneath the stacker Wheel, said stackerI table comprising arms rigid on a cross bar, said cross bar being guided in vertical Ways on the inner sides of the frame and adjustable up and down, and

clamping screws engaging the ends of the cross bar and the frame.

9. In a folding machine, the combination, with a paper table, of dislodging and folding rolls adjacent thereto, delivering rolls adapted to act on a sheet folded by the rolls first mentioned, a stacker table adapted to receive the folded sheet, said stacker table comprising arms on a cross bar, said cross bar being guided in vertical Ways on the frame and adjustable up and down, eXtensions on the stacker table higher than the table and projecting beneath the second pair of rolls, and a tucking blade adapted to act on a vertical sheet resting on its lower edge ou said extension.

A In testimony whereof, I hereunto alix my signature in the presence of Wo witnesses.

WILLIAM It. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

E. F. KOENIG, T. H. WHITE. 

